MarcJiantia.-} HEPATIC^E. 221 



fid, merabranaceous perianth. Of these pistils one or more 

 comes to maturity. The calyptra is obovate, tipped with a 

 short 'style, and bursts irregularly for the emission of the cap- 

 sule. The capsule is ovate, pale greenish, brown, shortly 

 pedicellated, so as to be protruded a little beyond the calyx, 

 and opens into about eight short and nearly equal segments at 

 the extremity, immediately overflowing with innumerable 

 greenish brown, sphserical seeds, intermixed with spiral filaments 

 of the same colour, and formed of a double helix. When the 

 capsules are mature, the segments of the receptacle are fre- 

 quently bent back, so as to become erect from the expansion of 

 the numerous capsules. 



Besides these two modes of fructification, we find, on fertile 

 as well as sterile individuals, at all seasons of the year, cup- 

 shaped processes, in various parts of the upper surface of the 

 frond, and always on the midrib ; of the same texture as the 

 frond itself, but with more membranaceous, laciniated margins ; 

 within which are contained several lentil-shaped membranace- 

 ous bodies of a reticulated structure, and frequently furnished 

 with pellucid dots; these are the gemmce, which frequently 

 throw out radicles before leaving those receptacles, and striking 

 root on the spots where they happen to fall, in time become 

 perfect fronds. We have been thus particular in our descrip- 

 tion, as the structure of the other species is probably very 

 similar, while this is the most common of them all. 



\.M.conica; receptacle of the capsule conical ovate somewhat 

 angular nearly entire at the margin, that of the anthers sessile. 

 Marchantia conica. Linn. Sp. PL p. 1604. Schmid. Ic. t. 31. (ex- 

 cellent,} Engl Bot. t. 504k Hook. Fl Scot. P. II. p. 120. Dill 

 Muse. t. 75. / 1. 



Fegatella officinalis. Raddi in Opusc. Scient. di Bologna, v. 2. 



HAB. Sides of mill ponds and shady banks, common. 

 Fronds procumbent, from three to four or five inches long, 

 several times divided in a dichotomous manner, the segments 

 oblong, obtuse, the margins scarcely waved or crenate, colour 

 almost a uniform yellowish green, the texture more inclined 

 to fleshy than membranaceous, the reticulation larger and 

 more distinct than in any other species. Cells oblong and hex- 

 agonal, the central pore very conspicuous and surrounded by a 



